Miftah Ismail, a former finance minister, declared publicly that he has no intention to undermine his fellow party colleagues but is “constrained” to speak only the truth.
Miftah Ismail responded following Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s veiled criticism of internal dissent in the party during a general council meeting.
The Prime Minister had expressed disapproval of internal criticism targeting Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and questioned the place of such critics within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Miftah, who served as the finance minister twice under the PML-N administration, said he wasn’t clear about the Prime Minister’s statement or who it was aimed at.
Criticism of Budget and Policy
However, Miftah hasn’t shied away from criticizing his successor’s policies. He recently termed the newly revealed budget 2023-24 unsustainable and aligned more with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) demands than the nation’s expansion needs. Additionally, Miftah challenged the Ministry of Finance to decide whether or not to comply with the IMF program.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s Absence
Adding another layer of intrigue to the party’s dynamics was the notable absence of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from the recent PML-N general council meeting. While sources close to Abbasi suggest no intention of parting ways with the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N, his frank criticism of the government’s economic policies and political steps has raised eyebrows. Abbasi, who was once the senior vice president of PML-N but resigned after Maryam Nawaz assumed that role, was surprisingly overlooked at the recent council meeting. He served as the Prime Minister in 2017 after Nawaz’s ouster due to the Panama Papers case.
